Naruto: The Shattered Eyes

"I've returned with good news."

Hearing Shikaku's voice, Hiruzen heaved a sigh of relief. The recent events occurring in Konohagakure had put a lot of pressure on him.

Despite all the schemes he had set up, Hiruzen was losing control of the situation.

The card he had sent Shikaku to get was one of his more desperate attempts to wrestle control out of Danzo's grasp. Luckily, it was a success.

"Come in, Shikaku. Help yourself to whatever snacks I have on the table." Hiruzen said.

He stood up to prepare three cups of tea, one for him, one for Shikaku, and one for his new student.

Hiruzen glanced at Uchiha Tatsuya who was meditating nearby, preoccupied with vanquishing all foul thoughts from his mind. For an Uchiha, such a process was a grueling matter, capable of turning his brain into mush.

After all, they were prone to love deeply, and thus hate even worse. To empty his thoughts in this manner even had the effect of weakening the bonuses granted to him by his Sharingan.

Of course, should his emotions explode in the future, then it was likely that he would benefit greatly.

This was something that Tatsuya whole-heartedly consulted with Hiruzen for. His doubts regarding Itachi's words on the way to awaken the Mangekyou still lingered at the back of his mind.

'I refuse to be a puppet on a string,' He thought, opting to see what truly hid behind the words,

[You must kill the person closest to you.]

He had a gut feeling that this line of questioning would save his life.

"Sniff," His nose twitched, alerted by the scent that wafted throughout the room.

Opening his eyes, Tatsuya realized that Hiruzen had poured both him and Shikaku a cup of tea. The sweet aroma of vanilla and honey was a surprising change. Hiruzen usually preferred to serve more floral tea leaves.

To have something sweet was a nice change of pace.

"...Sensei, is there something good about today?" Tatsuya asked.

"Hoho," A chuckle escaped Hiruzen's lips, "Well, we just received some useful information."

Hiruzen nodded at Shikaku, who had just sipped his tea. 

"Have a look," Shikaku smiled.

Shikaku then placed his teacup down and retrieved a scroll from one of his pockets. Hiruzen and Tatsuya both recognized the handwriting, and their eyes each reflected a different gleam.

Hiruzen's eyes collated his relief. 'So it seems like he still has his loyalties,'

While Tatsuya's eyes shone in admiration. 'Has Suguru studied the formation already?'

Seeing them, Shikaku shook his head.

"I'm afraid that things aren't that simple, Lord Third. Tatsuya." Shikaku then unfurled the scroll. "For one, it seems like Suguru had long come up with a formation using the Kyuubi. He has his version, and below it are his notes on Danzo's version."

Shikaku rubbed his goatee, "Judging by the ink, he had indeed written his own version beforehand."

Hiruzen furrowed his brows, "How did that boy know of the Kyuubi's characteristics? The ability to sense Negative Emotions is special only to a single person thus far."

Pondering for a moment, Hiruzen continued. "If I do recall correctly, Uzumaki Mito-sama was the only known person to have that ability."

Tatsuya's mouth hung open as he realized what Hiruzen was trying to imply. "Did Suguru access some historical archives, Sensei?"

Hiruzen shook his head, and Shikaku did the same.

"Perhaps. However, we are not sure." Hiruzen massaged his temples, "From what we can tell, he learned under Orochimaru for a while. As for how the two met, I am not sure."

"Furthermore..." Shikaku took this opportunity to lean forward, "I've discovered something important, Lord Third."

Hiruzen raised a brow, "It's rare for you to make that expression, Shikaku... What is it? You've piqued my curiosity."

Hearing Hiruzen's words, Tatsuya also lent a willing ear.

However, nothing would protect their minds from the revelation that would come next.

"Hiryu Suguru might be an Uchiha." Shikaku said, bracing himself for their reactions.

***

In a quaint house on the outskirts of Konohagakure, Shikaku, Hiruzen, and Tatsuya had all been sipping tea. The latter duo's smiles, borne from the good news brought by Suguru's studies, had frozen in time.

Shikaku revealed a resigned chuckle.

"Hard to believe, no?"

He then shook his head. "I saw it — the moment he used his Sharingan. Unlike Kakashi who was also there, it seems like he can deactivate his eyes."

In exactly the same way that the Uchiha could.

Tatsuya's mouth hung open even more. "What..."

How was that possible? Suguru was an orphan as far as he knew. Furthermore, not once did Suguru reveal such eyes in his entire time at the Academy.

Had he been hiding his strength this whole time?

"Uncle Shikaku... How far has Suguru gotten with the Sharingan?" Tatsuya had to ask.

Shikaku smirked, "Unlike you and Sasuke, his Sharingan is already fully evolved. He was able to react to Kakashi's speed, so it's a good assumption that he's had it for a while."

Tatsuya had no words. His eyes clouded with confusion. Suguru hadn't grown up with the clan, so he was safe from the massacre. Furthermore, he never revealed his Sharingan until now.

When did he unlock his eyes? How did he evolve them so quickly?

More importantly...

'Does Suguru know about the Mangekyou?' Tatsuya's eyes shone.

No wonder his instincts had been telling him to approach Suguru. It turned out that Suguru was an Uchiha all along. Tatsuya realized that Suguru was simply in hiding, and he had hidden so deeply.

"Crazy..." Tatsuya's head felt light.

In comparison, a conflicted expression had appeared on Hiruzen's face. For Suguru to have been an Uchiha... how did the boy pose as an orphan so well? Although it explained his loyalty to the village... What would happen if he discovered that the Uchiha Clan's massacre had been orchestrated by Root?

A myriad of thoughts began playing through Hiruzen's mind.

'I see... It's no wonder he specializes in Fire Release. Furthermore, his Taijutsu seems to have become a blend of multiple different techniques. This could indeed be attributed to the Sharingan.'

Hiruzen shakily took another sip of his tea.

'What a surprise that boy is...'

Never in a hundred years had Hiruzen expected the boy known as Hiryu Suguru to have Uchiha blood. 

'I wonder how Itachi will react?' He thought.

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